Canada in the Second Boer War

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The request by the British for Canadian assistance during the Second Boer War was met with division.[1][failed verification] English Canadians (including Irish Canadians) were pro-war while French Canadians were anti-war. Pro-war Canadians were pro-Empire and claimed that the war "pitted British Freedom, justice and civilization against Boer backwardness" while anti-war Canadians claimed that the war amounted to "a British colonial venture". The debate over involvement in the war caused a split in the Liberal Party's voter base.[2]

Deployment to South Africa

Canadian volunteers from Guelph prior to being deployed to South Africa, 1900
Two Canadian nurses standing with Lilias Trotter in South Africa, 1900

In order to appease both pro-war and anti-war Canadians, and under pressure from his pro-war cabinet, Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier sent a force of 1,000 soldiers from the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry to South Africa, all of whom were volunteers.[3] This would also be the first time that Canadians had been sent overseas since the Mahdist War. The first contingent was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Sir William Dillon Otter, a veteran of the Fenian raids and the North-West Rebellion.[4] Later, two additional contingents were sent. The second contingent consisted of 6,000 men from the Royal Canadian Dragoons and units of the Canadian Mounted Rifles. The third contingent consisted of the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Regiment. Around 8,600 Canadians volunteered to fight in South Africa. In total, roughly 7,400 soldiers and 12 nurses served in South Africa during the Second Boer War. 270 Canadian soldiers would be killed during the Second Boer War[5] and 252 were wounded.[6]

Equipment

Weapons

Canadian soldiers on armoured train "Semper Fidelis", January 1902

Canadian soldiers were equipped with Lee Enfield rifles.[7] Officers were equipped with the Colt New Service revolver.[8]

For machine guns, every Canadian unit was initially equipped with two Maxim guns which were mounted on the Dundonald Galloping Carriage.[9] Opinions on the Maxim gun's performance during the war were mixed. Common complaints about the Maxim gun included its weight, tendency to jam, and the water cooling system needing to be continuously filled with water.[9] Later, Canadian units were equipped with the lighter and air cooled M1895 Colt–Browning machine gun which proved to be especially popular with Canadian mounted units despite its lower rate of fire.[10]

Uniform

The Canadian military dress in the Second Boer War was a khaki-coloured uniform. The first uniforms were manufactured in a matter of weeks by the W.E. Sandford Manufacturing Company in Hamilton, Ontario.[11] One key difference between Canadian and British uniforms during the Second Boer War was the webbing. Canadian soldiers used the Oliver Pattern Equipment webbing while British soldiers used the British Mark IV pattern webbing. There were two versions of the Oliver Pattern Equipment webbing, a version for infantry and a version for mounted troops. The infantry version consisted of a waistbelt with a brass snake buckle, an eighty-round cartridge pouch, a bayonet frog, a pint water bottle and carrier, a canvas valise knapsack, mess tins, a canvas cover, and a set of braces with shoulder yoke.[12][13] The version for mounted troops consisted of a belt, a bayonet, a haversack, a holster and a leather ammunition bandolier.[13] Canadian mounted units also wore a type of boot which would come to be known as the Strathcona Boot which was named after the Lord Strathcona's Horse regiment.[14] For headwear, mounted troops wore a Stetson hat while regular infantry wore a Pith helmet. The Stetson hat would go on to become an icon of the Second Boer War and a symbol of Canadian military presence in South Africa.[15]

Units

Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry prior to an assault on the Boer fortifications during the Battle of Paardeberg, 21 February 1900

List of engagements involving Canadian forces

More information Battle or siege, Date ...
Battle or siege Date Canadian soldiers present Estimated number killed Estimated number wounded Opposing force References
Bloody Sunday (part of the Battle of Paardeberg) February 18, 1900 897 men[a] 18 killed 60 wounded South African Republic South African Republic
Orange Free State Orange Free State		 [20]
Battle of Paardeberg February 18 to 27, 1900 897 men[b] 31 killed 92 wounded South African Republic South African Republic
Orange Free State Orange Free State		 [22]
Battle of Israel's Poort April 25, 1900 611 men[c] 1 killed[d] 3 wounded[e] Orange Free State Orange Free State [23]
Battle of Zand River May 10, 1900 70 to 80 men at the battle's start[f] 2 killed 2 wounded South African Republic South African Republic
Orange Free State Orange Free State		 [24]
Relief of Mafeking May 15 to 17, 1900 Unknown number of men Unknown Unknown South African Republic South African Republic
Orange Free State Orange Free State		 [25]
Battle of Doornkop May 28 to 30, 1900 Unknown number of men None reported killed 7 wounded South African Republic South African Republic
Orange Free State Orange Free State		 [26]
Battle of Faber's Put May 29 to 30, 1900 Unknown number of men 1 killed 7 wounded South African Republic South African Republic [27]
Battle of Diamond Hill June 11 to 12, 1900 Unknown 3 killed 15 wounded South African Republic South African Republic
Orange Free State Orange Free State		 [28]
Battle of Honing Spruit June 22, 1900 8 men at the battle's start[g] 2 killed 2 wounded South African Republic South African Republic [29]
Battle of Witpoort July 16, 1900 Unknown 2 killed[h] Unknown South African Republic South African Republic [30]
Battle of Elands River (1900) August 4 to 16, 1900 3 men 0 killed 0 wounded South African Republic South African Republic [31]
Battle of Leliefontein November 7, 1900 90 to 100 men[32] 3 killed 11 wounded South African Republic South African Republic [33]
Battle of Hart's River March 31, 1902 Unknown number of men 13 killed 40 wounded South African Republic South African Republic [5]
Close

Legacy

The Second Boer War was the first time that Canadians had been sent overseas since the Mahdist War. It was also the largest deployment of Canadian soldiers prior to World War I. When the war had ended, a wave of celebrations swept the across the country from coast to coast. Many towns erected their first war memorials, which still stand today.

Notes

  1. [a]
    31 officers and 866 other ranks[19]
  2. [b]
    31 officers and 866 other ranks[21]
  3. [c]
    27 officers and 584 soldiers
  4. [d]
    Not counting those who had died from disease
  5. [e]
    Not counting those who had fallen ill
  6. [f]
    The initial Canadian force was reinforced by other companies as the battle continued
  7. [g]
    The Battle of Honing Spruit commenced when patrol of 8 Canadian Mounted Rifles were captured after they were ambushed by over 100 Boers. The ambush alerted the Canadian camp. The 4 men inside the camp held off a Boer force of 50 to 60 men until a relief force arrived 8 hours later.
  8. [h]
    Lieutenant Harold Lothrop Borden and Lieutenant John Edgar Burch

References

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